


Crowning Glory

by Severus1323



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:00:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29129160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Severus1323/pseuds/Severus1323
Summary: Obi-Wan does Qui-Gon's hair
Relationships: Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	1. Flowers in Your Hair

As Qui-Gon woke slowly, he rolled over to check the time. Upon seeing what time it was, he inwardly cursed; he was currently meant to be meditating with Obi-Wan. Jumping from his bed, he threw on the nearest clean robes he could find before rushing into their small shared sitting room. He skidded into the room, hair wild, only to find Obi-Wan already meditating quietly in front of the floor length windows. His eyes opened and he turned to smile at Qui-Gon as he settled on the floor next to him. 

“I apologise for my tardiness, Padawan mine,” Qui-Gon murmured into the otherwise silent room. 

Obi-Wan nodded in acceptance of the apology before changing the subject completely. “Perhaps while you meditate yourself, I can brush your hair for you so you need not worry about it before we must appear before the Council?”

Qui-Gon could hardly say no to Obi-Wan’s pleading eyes, and so Qui-Gon slipped into his morning meditation while Obi-Wan went to get what he needed to fix Qui-Gon’s hair. As Obi-Wan brushed his hair, Qui-Gon slipped deeper and deeper into his meditation, relaxed by the soothing motion of a brush going through his hair.

Eventually, Obi-Wan brought him out of his meditative trance by putting a cup of tea under his nose. Qui-Gon smiled up at his Padawan in thanks. As Obi-Wan seated himself next to his Master to enjoy his own tea, Qui-Gon asked, “How long before we must brave the Council chamber once more?”

Obi-Wan sipped at his tea before responding. “About a half hour or so, Master. Just enough time to enjoy this tea and put the proper clothes on before making our way there. Is this amenable to you?”

Qui-Gon just sipped his tea in response, desperately trying to shield Obi-Wan from the melancholy that suffused his entire being at his statement. He had only a half hour more with the person that had come to mean so much to him in the past decade. He knew he had to let his Padawan go and he had no doubts that he would make a great Jedi Knight, but he would miss him to the very core of his being. He could already feel a deep ache in his chest at the thought of his Obi-Wan being off-planet and unable to communicate with the Temple for months or even, Force-forbid, years. But he would persevere. He was a Jedi Master. He could let his Padawan go.

He couldn’t. It hurt too much to watch his now-Knighted Padawan enjoy himself with his friends who had been recently Knighted as well. He couldn’t just let him go. Perhaps he could petition the Council to make them partners? However, before he could contemplate that idea further, a voice behind him startled him out of his thoughts. 

“I didn’t know you could do anything different with your hair, Qui.”

“Well it is a special occasion, Mace.” Qui-Gon replied, trying to hide his confusion as best he could. He had not done anything special with his hair this morning nor asked Obi-Wan to do anything special? Had Obi-Wan done something to his hair while he meditated that he had not asked him to?

“When has that ever stopped you from being the same old ornery bastard you usually are? Especially when the Council is involved.”

When Qui-Gon did not answer, Mace sighed and wandered off again. Once Qui-Gon felt Mace leave him, he allowed himself to wonder about what Obi-Wan had done to his hair that morning. Laughter pulled him out of his thoughts the second time. The same laughter that had graced his quarters for the last decade drew his gaze to the other side of the room where Obi-Wan was surrounded by his friends as they celebrated their new Knighthoods together. 

And Qui-Gon fled.

He could not be in such a joyous room amongst such a joyous celebration when he himself was filled with despair. So instead he wandered the Temple. When he finally came to a stop in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, he found himself in his favorite spot to meditate. He let out a shuddering breath as he stooped to sit on the ground. But try as he might, Qui-Gon could not relax himself enough to meditate. He could not bear to release his feelings for Obi-Wan into the Force as he should. And so a deep-seated ache took up residence in his heart. It had hurt so much to see Obi-Wan being so happy with his friends earlier, and yet Qui-Gon knew that he had to let Obi-Wan go so that he could be the Knight Qui-Gon knew he could be. But it hurt to know that Obi-Wan would never love him as much as Qui-Gon loved him.

After a couple hours of unsuccessfully trying to center himself, Qui-Gon gave up and headed back to quarters, filled with sadness that, after a decade of living with someone else, he would be forced to endure silent quarters again. Upon entering his quarters, Qui-Gon put the kettle on to make himself some tea, hoping that the familiar motions would help soothe him, before remembering what Mace had said about his hair. He abandoned the kettle in favor of making a beeline for the fresher to see what exactly Mace had been talking about earlier. 

He could not help his sharp intake of breath at the sight of his hair. It was beautiful. He stared, and stared, and stared. It was the nicest his hair had ever looked, with elaborate braids and, somehow, a flower made of his hair in the middle of it all. His mind had come to a stuttering halt and all he could think was why.

Eventually, what felt like hours, but was really only minutes later, the whistle of the kettle startled Qui-Gon out of his reverie and he slowly made his way back into the kitchen to finish making his tea. As he set the kettle back on the counter and turned to lean against the counter after pouring himself a cup of tea, an amused voice sounded from the sofa. “Am I not allowed tea anymore?”

Bemused, Qui-Gon asked, “Should you not be out celebrating with your friends tonight? After all, it isn’t everyday that you get Knighted.”

“I spent hours celebrating with them earlier, am I not allowed to celebrate with my old Master as well?” Obi-Wan sounded quite affronted at this.

“Why would you want to spend your time with an ornery old bastard like me? Even if I was your old Master?” Qui-Gon questioned, even as he turned back around to pour another cup of tea. “You deserve so much better than I,” he mumbled to himself before turning to the sofa once more. 

Obi-Wan did not respond to Qui-Gon’s question, but instead asked his own question. “I assume someone eventually asked you about the hair?” At Qui-Gon’s nod, he continued, “And since you came out of the fresher, I will presume that you have since seen it.” Taking a fortifying breath, he finished his question, “Did you like it? Was it ok?”

Qui-Gon was suddenly struck by a wave of sadness. “Why would you spend so much time on my hair when you could have spent more time on yourself or more time meditating?”

“Because I felt like it? Because I thought you also deserved to look nice today?”

Qui-Gon hunched in on himself. “I do not deserve such kindnesses, Obi-Wan. You should have indulged yourself more today. You deserve it far more than I.”

“You deserve it far more than you give yourself credit for, Master,” Obi-Wan commented as he stood and walked towards Qui-Gon. 

“I am no longer your Master, Obi-Wan.” Qui-Gon turned back around to brace himself on the counter. “I just- Why?”

Obi-Wan stopped just short of Qui-Gon before sighing quietly. “Do you not remember all those times you rebraided my Padawan’s braid when I could not do it myself? Do you not remember all those times you held me as I cried because the nightmares and visions were so bad?” Without waiting for an answer, he plowed on quietly, “I just wanted you to feel loved for once. It’s the same reason I did not wake you this morning. You deserved to sleep in for a while. I know how badly you have been sleeping this week and I know that you will not take care of yourself, so I did it for you because I wanted you to remember that you are loved.”

Qui-Gon could feel the tears welling in his eyes as he spoke. “Then perhaps you should know that I have been unable to sleep this week because I find myself unable to imagine continuing on without your presence at my side, but I know that you deserve so much more than I could ever offer you.”

“Oh, Qui-Gon,”Obi-Wan breathed, finally stepping forward and pulling Qui-Gon around and into a hug. As Qui-Gon lay his cheek against the head buried in his chest, he faintly heard, “I’ve loved you for years, Qui-Gon, I simply don’t want anyone else, no matter what you think I deserve.”

Qui-Gon felt something in him break and he could no longer hold back his tears. “I have loved you for years too, my Obi-Wan.” 

And for the first time in decades, Qui-Gon had someone hold him as he broke down in tears.

Eventually, Qui-Gon’s heartbreaking sobs settled into small sniffles. “Let’s get you into the fresher, shall we?” Obi-Wan waited for the small nod before pulling Qui-Gon towards the fresher. 

Leading him to sit backwards on the toilet, Obi-Wan picked the brush up off the counter and carefully went to work taking all of the braids out of Qui-Gon’s hair. When he finished, he found Qui-Gon dozing, put to sleep by the comforting motion of Obi-Wan brushing his hair. Making a quick decision, Obi-Wan left the fresher to pull the blankets back on Qui-Gon’s bed, before entering the fresher once more. He prodded Qui-Gon into a semiconscious state before pulling him off the toilet. He gently took Qui-Gon’s belt and tunics off before guiding him back onto the toilet to slowly take off his boots and pants. After dumping his dirty clothes in the corner to take care of later, Obi-Wan picked Qui-Gon up off the toilet and carried him into the bedroom. Lowering him down gently, he tucked Qui-Gon in.

He took his Padawan braid out of his pocket. It was the whole reason he had come back in the first place. He stared at it. It meant everything to him. It had a decade’s worth of memories tied to it. He placed it on Qui-Gon’s small nightstand. There was no other place Obi-Wan would rather have it than with Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon, who had admitted that he had loved Obi-Wan for years as he had loved Qui-Gon for years. 

Turning, he bent down, pressing his slightly chapped lips against Qui-Gon’s forehead, trying to convey all of his love for Qui-Gon into that single kiss. Blue eyes flew open as he drew away. As Obi-Wan spun to leave for his old room or perhaps his new quarters, a hand shot out from under the covers and caught his wrist. Obi-Wan turned back to see tired, but still piercing blue eyes staring at him. 

“Stay?” Qui-Gon asked, his eyes practically begging Obi-Wan to stay.

Obi-Wan smiled, however could he say no? As he undressed himself for bed, Qui-Gon made room for Obi-Wan on the bed. When Obi-Wan looked up once more, Qui-Gon was laying there, arms open, inviting Obi-Wan into the pleasant warmth of a shared bed. Obi-Wan was quick to join Qui-Gon in bed and bury his head in Qui-Gon’s chest as Qui-Gon wrapped him in his arms and buried his face in Obi-Wan’s hair. Obi-Wan brought his arms up around Qui-Gon’s waist and held on as if he was drowning and Qui-Gon was the only thing keeping him from going under.

“I love you, my Obi-Wan.”

“I love you too, Qui-Gon.”

And for the first time in years, both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon slept peacefully.


	2. Matters of the Soul

They woke slowly, warm in the arms of the other. They had nowhere to rush off to, so they stayed, tangled in the body of the other, making it impossible to tell where one body ended and the other began. In this cocoon of warmth, they drifted off again, lulled to sleep by the knowledge that they were safe in the Temple and with each other.

Eventually, they could stay in bed no longer. Stroking Obi-Wan’s hair, Qui-Gon murmured, “Shall I make us some tea, my Padawan?”

From somewhere on his chest, Obi-Wan retorted, “I am no longer your Padawan. Or had you forgotten in your old age?”

“Hey, I’m not that old. I daresay I have a better memory than you do half the time,” Qui-Gon groused. “And you will always be my Padawan. Now, do you want tea or not?”

“Some tea would not go remiss, I suppose.”

“Sapir?”

At Obi-Wan’s slight nod, Qui-Gon started to untangle himself from Obi-Wan so he could get out of bed. Obi-Wan sleepily sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Qui-Gon swung his legs off the bed, but before he could get up, something caught his eye. Picking it up off his nightstand, he stared at it confusedly until his brain finally started to work again. It was a braid. Obi-Wan’s Padawan braid. The one he had cut off just yesterday. Cupping it reverently in his hands, he leaned forward on his elbows, pressing his hands to his face, feeling his eyes fill with tears once more. As if Obi-Wan could sense his tears, he crawled over to Qui-Gon and draped himself over his shoulders. “Ah yes, the reason I returned last night. I wanted to give it to you. You deserve it for having dealt with me for more than a decade.”

Almost inaudibly, Qui-Gon whispered, “I thought I would never see you again after yesterday’s ceremony. I was a terrible Master. I am a terrible Master.”

Obi-Wan’s arms tightened around Qui-Gon and his chin came to rest on his shoulder. He whispered fiercely into Qui-Gon’s ear, “I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. You were by far the best Master I could have ever hoped for. If you hadn’t been my Master, then I never would have fallen in love with you. And I’m fairly sure neither of us want that.”

Qui-Gon laughed wryly through his tears. His Padawan was rarely wrong about things such as this. Truth be told, he could not imagine a life without Obi-Wan. He had permeated Qui-Gon’s being, stitching himself into every memory that he logically couldn’t have been a part of. The only part of his life where he could not - would not - imagine Obi-Wan was Xanatos’ Fall. That was solely his own fault. He was the reason Xanatos Fell. There was no other reason for his Padawan’s Fall except Qui-Gon’s own failings. He had accepted that years ago.

Obi-Wan could feel Qui-Gon slipping further and further into himself, withdrawing into his own mind so much that Obi-Wan could hardly sense him through their bond. Instinctually, Obi-Wan loosened his grip on Qui-Gon and turned him around so he could put Qui-Gon’s head on his shoulder. Cupping his neck with one hand, Obi-Wan brought his other hand up to card through the older man’s hair. Qui-Gon had often done this for him when he was suffering particularly bad memories, and it felt only right that he do the same for Qui-Gon when he was quite obviously struggling internally. 

Eventually, Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon come back to himself. Slowly but surely his presence in their bond came back, little by little. As he comes back to himself to find that he is now being hugged by Obi-Wan. Unable to help himself, he drops the braid between them before burying his face in Obi-Wan’s neck and bringing his arms up to clench the back of Obi-Wan’s shirt. He had to admit, the hand currently carding through his hair was quite comforting and he was quite unwilling to move anytime soon. 

Sometime later, their bladders forced them to move when they could no longer deny their urge to use the fresher. Qui-Gon lingered for a moment, allowing Obi-Wan to relieve himself first and himself to find the Padawan braid that was still on the bed. After they had both satisfied their bodily functions, they made their way to the sitting room. Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow in Obi-Wan’s direction. Obi-Wan raised his own eyebrow and Qui-Gon’s lips quirked upward before he turned towards the kitchen to finally make that tea he had intended to earlier. 

While Qui-Gon made the tea he promised to, Obi-Wan checked his comm link for any important messages. He gulped when he saw that there was a summons from the Council. But before he could do more than read the summons, Qui-Gon came back with their tea. 

Taking a steadying gulp of tea, Qui-Gon set his teacup on the small table in front of the sofa and pulled the braid out of his pocket, holding it in his lap. “I know how much this braid must mean to you, and I am honored that you would trust me with it, but I fear I must decline such a privilege right now. I wish I could accept it right now, but I fear I must properly earn this privilege.”

Obi-Wan knew Qui-Gon had not meant for what he said to hurt, but it still hurt a little. He understood that Qui-Gon needed to come to terms with some things first, but it still hurt. He knew that Qui-Gon was a proud man and was especially proud of truly earning things, it was one of the things that Obi-Wan loved most about him. He also knew that Qui-Gon would never lie about how he felt about someone, so he knew Qui-Gon loved him, but it still hurt - just a little. 

“I truly love you, Obi-Wan. But I must earn your love first, not as your Master, but as your equal. Someday I hope to be worthy of your love.” Scooting closer to Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon pulled Obi-Wan’s free hand into his lap, entwining their fingers together. “Please will you wear it around your own wrist until I’ve proved myself worthy of your love? As a reminder? I’ll accept it when I’m ready, but I cannot accept it yet. Will you do this for me?”

Obi-Wan nodded silently. He understood. He managed to stay still while Qui-Gon tied the braid around his wrist. Hardly even breathing at the featherlight touch of Qui-Gon’s fingers on his wrists as he tied it. When Qui-Gon was done, Obi-Wan hesitantly leaned forward to put his teacup on the small table next to Qui-Gon’s before turning to the man and throwing his arms around his neck, startling him. Qui-Gon only hesitated for a split second before placing his arms around Obi-Wan’s waist and returning the hug quite fiercely. He hoped to convey just how much he loved Obi-Wan and how much he was thankful for his understanding that he couldn’t just accept it. He would take it one day, when he had proved the depth of his love for Obi-Wan, but not before then.

It was several minutes before Obi-Wan remembered the missive he had read right before Qui-Gon had come with their tea. Withdrawing from the embrace grudgingly, he said, “I’m really sorry, Qui-Gon, but the Council has summoned us. We’re supposed to be there soon. I’m sorry.”

Qui-Gon ruffled Obi-Wan’s hair. “It is fine, Padawan mine. Did they say why we have been summoned?”

“Unfortunately no,” Obi-Wan sighed. “I suppose we should get ready and go see what they want.”

“Terribly annoying bastards, aren’t they?”

Obi-Wan muffled his laughter as he got up to get ready to face the Council once more. Qui-Gon followed shortly after, trying to tamp down his anxieties about why the Council could possibly be calling them back so soon after Obi-Wan’s Knighting. 

A relatively short time later, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stood in the Council chambers, finally standing side-by-side as equals, instead of Obi-Wan standing behind Qui-Gon.

“Would either of you like to explain what happened last night?” Mace asked them. 

Confused, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan glanced at each other before Qui-Gon spoke. “What are you talking about? I noticed nothing unusual last night?”

“Felt a great disturbance in the Force, we did. Much despair, we felt, but much peace too.”

“We tracked it back to your quarters, Qui-Gon. You and Obi-Wan were projecting your emotions loudly enough for the entire Temple to feel it; it took very little time for us to pinpoint where it was coming from. As I understand it, the Crèchemasters are rather angry with you two. Apparently the crèche was in an uproar for at least an hour while you were radiating despair. The only reason they haven’t found you to yell at you is because all the crèchelings fell asleep so quickly when you suddenly stopped radiating sadness and suddenly started radiating contentment instead.”

“Formed a soulbond, I sense. Intriguing, it is. Wonder why it did not form earlier, I do. But complain, I do not. Know what soulbonds are, you do?”

Once more sharing a confused glance, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan nodded. Obi-Wan quirked an eyebrow. “And what exactly do soulbonds have to do with us? If we were meant to have a soulbond, shouldn’t it have made itself known years ago?”

“The Force works in strange ways, it does. Meditate on it, perhaps you should.”

Taking this as a dismissal, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed and moved to leave, only to be stopped by Mace speaking again. “Before you leave, the Council has its first solo mission for you, Knight Kenobi. It has been decided that, because you are most familiar with the Mandalore system and the Duchess of Mandalore, you are to escort her home to the Mandalore system, as she has requested an escort. Her transport will be leaving in approximately 3 standard hours. The rest of the details have been sent to your personal comm link. I advise you to use these hours to read the details. May the Force be with both of you.”

Recognising the true dismissal, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed once more and left the Council chambers. They made their way back to Qui-Gon’s quarters in a companionable silence as they contemplated what the Council had told them. Soulbonds were incredibly rare, but not unheard of in the Jedi Order. Most soulbonded Jedi were either Temple-bound because they could not balance themselves well enough to go on missions or only sent on missions together because their soulbond enhanced their ability to work together and they worked seamlessly together. There had not been any soulbound Jedi in almost half a millenia.

As they reached Qui-Gon’s quarters, Obi-Wan swiftly retreated to his old room to pack some necessities and read the rest of the details of his mission. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon puttered around the kitchen, making more tea and some breakfast to ply Obi-Wan with before he had to leave. As Qui-Gon set everything on the kitchen table and sat at his usual spot to wait for Obi-Wan, he finally took a minute to absorb what the Council had told them. For all he loved and followed the will of the Force, he could scarcely even begin to believe that the Force would bless him with such a gift. He hardly deserved it.

Several minutes later, Obi-Wan made his way out of his room and back into the kitchen, where he and Qui-Gon ate their late breakfast in an amicable silence. Wordlessly, they agreed to not speak of the information the Council had given them until they were not so pressed for time. Instead, they migrated to the sofa. Obi-Wan tucked into Qui-Gon’s side like he had so many times when he was younger, they sat in a contented silence, absorbing and enjoying the other’s presence. All too soon, it was time for Obi-Wan to leave. Unable to say goodbye just yet, Qui-Gon escorted Obi-Wan to the ship. After a final hug, Obi-Wan boarded the ship.

Qui-Gon could only watch as the ship left Coruscant.


	3. Finally Home

Qui-Gon stood in front of the window, slowly sipping his tea. It had been months since Obi-Wan had left for what should have been a simple mission. He should have just been escorting the Duchess of Mandalore to her home planet and been gone, at most, two weeks, but had instead been forced to take her on the run after an assassination attempt almost killed both the Duchess and Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had exchanged many missives in the months Obi-Wan had been gone. Mostly they discussed Obi-Wan’s mission and when he thought it might be safe for him to return the Duchess to Mandalore and himself to Coruscant. 

Qui-Gon had responded to Obi-Wan’s last missive almost a month and a half ago and yet had still not received another response from Obi-Wan. It was entirely possible that he had simply not had the time to respond to Qui-Gon. However, with each day that passed without a message from Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon felt his worry grow even more.

Qui-Gon lifted his teacup to his lips, only to sigh. His tea had gone cold. Finally moving back into the kitchen, he took care of his teacup. Soon after he finished putting his teacup away, he got out his meditation mat and a blanket. Laying the mat in front of the window, he wrapped himself in the blanket before sitting in a lotus position, watching as the sun rose over Coruscant. 

Eventually, Qui-Gon fell into an uneasy meditation. He tried to let go of all the fear and anxieties he had about Obi-Wan’s mission and the loneliness and the deep, lingering sadness brought about by Obi-Wan’s absence. Only to find that he couldn’t, not really.

Darkness had fallen once more by the time Qui-Gon came out of his meditative state. His joints protested as he rose from his meditation mat. Knees cracked as he stood. Placing his hands on his lower back, Qui-Gon proceeded to stretch backwards, cracking his back nicely. Suddenly, a pained groan came from over by the couch. Whipping around, Qui-Gon noticed a crumpled figure in the middle of the room. 

Qui-Gon’s breath caught in his throat. “Obi-Wan?” 

A low groan came from Obi-Wan as Qui-Gon rushed to his side. Kneeling at his side, Qui-Gon carefully scanned his body for any obvious injuries. Not immediately seeing anything amiss, Qui-Gon turned his attention back to Obi-Wan’s face. His face was clearly pinched with pain as he tried not to groan in pain again. “Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon gently coaxed, “Obi-Wan, please tell me what’s wrong. Please? Let me help you.” Qui-Gon was openly begging, but he could no longer bring himself to care. All that mattered was making sure Obi-Wan was alright. 

A pained “Knee” from between gritted teeth was all Qui-Gon could get from Obi-Wan. Sensing no further warnings from the Force, Qui-Gon shifted Obi-Wan onto his back and immediately noticed what he hadn’t before. One of Obi-Wan’s knees was extremely swollen. Feeling completely out of his depth, Qui-Gon pressed a gentle kiss to Obi-Wan’s forehead. “I’m going to have to carry you to the Halls then, my love. Is that ok?”

When Obi-Wan finally nodded his head, Qui-Gon hooked his arm under Obi-Wan’s shoulders and leaned him against his chest so he could pull some of the younger man’s outer clothes off so he would not have to suffer the injustice of healers doing it. There was nothing wrong with having the healers doing it, but Qui-Gon knew that Obi-Wan did not like to appear helpless in front of people. Once he had finished removing most of Obi-Wan’s outer clothing, he leaned him back against the couch so he could stand and retrieve the blanket he had left laying beside his meditation mat. Returning to Obi-Wan’s side, Qui-Gon crouched, wrapping Obi-Wan in said blanket before leaning Obi-Wan against his chest and curling his arm under his knees slowly and cautiously, desperately trying not to cause him any more pain. 

As Qui-Gon straightened, Obi-Wan instinctively wrapped his arms around Qui-Gon’s neck. At some point during the trek to the Halls of Healing, Obi-Wan slipped into an uneasy sleep, nuzzling his head into the crook of Qui-Gon’s neck. 

When they reached the Halls of Healing, Qui-Gon was directed to put Obi-Wan down on one of the beds. Only for Obi-Wan to grip the front of Qui-Gon’s robes in a death grip. The now-awake Obi-Wan stared at Qui-Gon, pupils blown from pain. He looked so small and helpless. “Stay? Please?”

Qui-Gon ran his fingers through Obi-Wan’s hair, before delicately prying Obi-Wan’s hands from his robes. “I will be right over there, but you must let go of my robes while the healer takes care of your knee and make sure you’re alright. I promise I will stay as long as you will have me afterwards.”

Obi-Wan huffed, but let go of Qui-Gon’s robes. Qui-Gon melted into the corner of the room, out of the way of the healer, but still in Obi-Wan’s line of vision. Both of them watched the healer work as they checked the rest of Obi-Wan’s body for any other unnoticed injuries. Finding none, the healer turned to Obi-Wan’s clearly swollen knee.

“Unfortunately, your knee looks a little too swollen to just pull your pants off, so I’m going to have to cut them off. Alright?”

At Obi-Wan’s stiff nod, the healer left the room to retrieve a pair of scissors. Moments later, the healer returned. Coming to a stop beside the injured knee, they turned their head to meet Qui-Gon’s eyes. Gesturing for him to “It might help if you were to distract him.”

As Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon locked eyes, Obi-Wan reached out to him, eyes pleading. Unable to say no to Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon made his way to Obi-Wan’s bedside. Intertwining their fingers, Qui-Gon found himself lost in Obi-Wan’s eyes. However, as soon as the healer started to pull the fabric away from the injured knee, Obi-Wan slammed his eyes shut, sucking in a pained breath.

As the healer worked on wrapping Obi-Wan’s knee, Qui-Gon knelt so that his head rested on the bed right next to Obi-Wan’s face. Bringing his other hand up, Qui-Gon carded his fingers through Obi-Wan’s now slightly longer hair, trying to offer what little comfort he could. Tears gathered on his eyelashes as the young Jedi Knight desperately tried to maintain his composure. Qui-Gon’s heart clenched at the sight. He felt so helpless, unable to do anything for Obi-Wan while he was obviously in immense pain.

They stayed like that long after the healer left. Qui-Gon kneeling beside Obi-Wan’s bed, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, face mere inches away from Obi-Wan’s head. 

When Obi-Wan finally opened his eyes once more, Qui-Gon moved his hand to stand up, but Obi-Wan only held his hand tighter. Tugging their hands onto his chest, he looked pleadingly at Qui-Gon, begging him to stay. Instead of pulling away like Qui-Gon had planned to, he changed courses, ending up perched on the edge of the bed instead. Still running his hands through Obi-Wan’s hair, Qui-Gon was struck by how much older Obi-Wan looked with the new beard he had. So in awe of seeing Obi-Wan properly for the first time in months was Qui-Gon that he unconsciously tightened his own grip on Obi-Wan’s hand.

All too soon, Qui-Gon became aware of a far more pressing need. He had not visited the fresher since before dawn. Quickly extracting himself from Obi-Wan, he got off the bed and was about to rush to the nearest fresher. Before he could, however, a hand shot out and grabbed the sleeve of his robe as tightly as it could. Looking down at the now wide awake Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon huffed out a little laugh. “I am only going to the fresher, Padawan mine. I promised to stay as long as you would have me, but I must relieve myself. I shall be back momentarily, ok?”

Obi-Wan reluctantly let go of Qui-Gon’s sleeve. Qui-Gon chuckled at Obi-Wan’s pout. Picking up the blanket that had been discarded on the floor by the healer, he stood and walked back to Obi-Wan’s bedside. He met Obi-Wan’s raised eyebrow with a raised eyebrow of his own. Settling the blanket on top of him, he tucked it around Obi-Wan before turning to find the nearest fresher. 

Qui-Gon returned with a chair. The healer followed shortly after, bearing a plate of food that he set in Obi-Wan’s lap. Gesturing at the plate, Qui-Gon said, “You need to at least eat as much as you can before you sleep.”

At some point while Obi-Wan was eating, his fork somehow made it into his other hand and he entwined his and Qui-Gon’s fingers once more. Once Obi-Wan was finished eating, Qui-Gon took the plate without releasing his hand, and put it on the bedside table. As if that act had summoned them, the healer came back into the room to give Obi-Wan some pain medication so that he could sleep peacefully. Scooting his chair closer, Qui-Gon’s free hand began carding through Obi-Wan’s hair once more. “It’s time for you to sleep now, Padawan mine.”

Qui-Gon was so focused on watching Obi-Wan’s eyes slip lower and lower that he did not notice the tears pooling in his own eyes. How many times had they been in this same position or with Obi-Wan at his bedside? It seemed like each of their missions ended with them in the Halls of Healing with one or both of them having to stay at least a single night. And if only one of them had to stay overnight, the other would stay anyways, sleeping on the floor or in a chair. Sometimes the healers were even kind enough to bring in a cot.

Deciding that he would rather sleep in the chair at Obi-Wan’s bedside because he was unwilling to let go of his hand, Qui-Gon laid his head next to their hands. The motion roused Obi-Wan just enough for him to blink sleepily at Qui-Gon’s face. Qui-Gon smiled at him and brushed the hair off his forehead. Qui-Gon‘s smile made Obi-Wan’s lips quirk upwards before he whispered, “I’m cold, Master.”

Qui-Gon looked away, trying to hide his blush. “Then I shall go find another blanket for you.”

Qui-Gon stood and turned to leave. But before he could leave, Obi-Wan caught his sleeve. Qui-Gon turned back to Obi-Wan with a raised eyebrow. Obi-Wan smiled sweetly at him, tugging on his sleeve, trying to get Qui-Gon to get in bed with him. “I had rather thought that you could be my blanket, Master.” 

Qui-Gon’s already rosy cheeks somehow burned an even deeper shade of red. He looked away, unable to do anything else. Obi-Wan’s eyes started watering. “Please, Master? I find myself in need of some comforts from home.”

Turning back to Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon’s eyes met Obi-Wan’s glassy eyes. He wasn’t sure if it was the painkillers or sleepiness that had Obi-Wan so clingy, but he wasn’t going to say no to it either. “And different blankets wouldn’t be ok?”

Obi-Wan scoffed. “Of course they wouldn’t be ok. I said home, Master. You are my home.”

Qui-Gon wasn’t sure how to respond to such an admission, so he simply motioned for Obi-Wan to scoot over before pulling the covers back and climbing into bed with Obi-Wan. He gathered the younger man into his arms before taking his hand and interlacing their fingers once more. Obi-Wan nuzzled his head into Qui-Gon’s neck, sighing contentedly at the smell of home that invaded his senses. Qui-Gon brushed his lips over Obi-Wan’s forehead as he let out a pained whine as he shifted.

Soon, though, Obi-Wan drifted off. 

As he slept, Qui-Gon brought their clasped hands up and kissed the back of Obi-Wan’s hand gently. 

Silently, he vowed that he would always be right there alongside Obi-Wan. That he would always welcome Obi-Wan home with open arms. He would not leave his own heart to fight such battles alone (he didn’t know if his weakened heart could take leaving him alone).

Before he himself fell asleep, Qui-Gon whispered something against the back of Obi-Wan’s hand. 

“You’re my home too, Obi-Wan.”


End file.
